Social Welfare

 

     There are debates about when the public welfare system began. For this, I will assume

that it began during the reign of Queen Elizabeth in 1601 with the implementation of the Poor

Laws.

     England began taxing employed people in order to use those funds to aid the unemployed

and otherwise, poor people. After the Civil War, the United States started war veterans’

assistance. War veterans’ assistance was implemented to help Civil War veterans who were

disabled or could not find work.

     Around 1900, Many state and local authorities would provide assistance that was known as

public relief. It was intended to help those that were unemployed and otherwise indigent. Major

social welfare legislation in the USA began in the Roosevelt administration. It was a response to

the Great Depression and the problems that were being addressed with Roosevelt’s New Deal.

     Before the New Deal, charitable organizations would provide assistance to the poor through

contributions given to them. A major portion of those were church-based and provided through

donations to the Church. They provided assistance to the elderly and those that could not work.

Families also would provide assistance to other members of the family and other families that

were in need in their community. During the Great Depression, many of this local public-

private assistance programs were canceled. Donations to these organizations were so low that the

assistance was not sustainable.

     After the implementation of the New Deal, many social welfare programs were enacted.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Programs, Supplemental Security Income, And the Earned Income Tax Credit are still with us

today. These programs add trillions to the Federal Budget every year. The Social Security

Program, for example, makes up the largest portion of the United States Federal Budget.

1.1 trillion dollars (about $3,400 per person in the US) was spent by the Federal Government on

 the Social Security Program in 2020.

(The Federal Budget in Fiscal Year 2020: An Infographic | Congressional Budget Office, 2021).

 

Social Welfare and Biblical Principles

 

     The moral issue of taking money or property from someone and giving it to another

person, not only violates the founding principles of the United States but the concept also

violates Biblical principles in several ways.

     Primarily, the Bible gave us the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:15 says “Thou

shalt not steal.” A government taking from one person, through taxes or any other means, and

giving it to another is theft. Using the threat of violence or confinement to compel others is a

pure violation of that commandment. “Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to

him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are (“Luke 3:10-14 ESV - And the crowds asked him, “What then ...”)

authorized to do.” “Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?" And he said to

them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation and be content

with your wages.” (Holy Bible, Luke 3:12-14 ESV). The government taking more money than

that which is authorized in the constitution would be a violation of this. Although the Bible

is noticeably clear on the value of charity with such passages as Deuteronomy 15:7-11,

Proverbs 28:27, Romans 15:1-2, for example, the Bible does not authorize the government,

or any other, to force someone to contribute to charity. A person should want to help another

person.

    

 

       

 

 

References

The Federal Budget in Fiscal Year 2020: An Infographic | Congressional Budget Office. (2021, April 30). Congressional Budget Office. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57170

StudyCorgi. (2020, April 3). Social Welfare History in the USA. https://studycorgi.com/social-welfare-history-in-the-usa/

Bibles, E. (2020). ESV Student Study Bible (TruTone, Navy/Slate, Timeless Design) (Illustrated ed.). Crossway.